Absolutely Nuts
Anika Hair Tools
Blankets and More
Calendar Club
Crystal Odyssey
Deep Sea Cosmetics
Fragrance for All
Gold Buyers at the Mall
Greta’s Garden Flags
Hensley’s Airbrush
Hickory Farms
Leather Exchange
Portrait Masters
S & S Sports
S & S Engraving
Solar Connection
Toy World
Gift Cards
Frickers
Oasis at Center City Salon & Day Spa
Texas Roadhouse
SPRINGFIELD — Small business owners John and Joanna Robertson operate a mobile snack concession at regional festivals, fairs and trade shows throughout the year.
But every November, the Springfield couple parks their small business, Absolutely Nuts, in the center of the Upper Valley Mall.
Absolutely Nuts is among 20 specialty holiday retailers that have taken up temporary residence at the mall during the holiday season. The business offers take-home snacks as well as special order gifts for individuals and businesses. They started the business shortly before they married.
“This is our 11th Christmas here, ” Joanna Robertson said on Monday. “ Some businesses, like Leather Exchange and us, are here every year. Others are new.”
The mall kiosk will be their last venue until the spring festival and trade show season starts, Robertson said.
A new vendor, Blankets and More, will remain in the mall until warm weather arrives and shoppers are more interested in shorts than blankets, owner Ash Ibrhim, said. The India-based store offers specialty blankets as well as sheets and other bedding.
The mall is happy to have the shops, even if it’s for a short time, said mall manager Brenda LaBonte.
“It just gives our shoppers more options,” she said.
It also gives businesses a chance to test the waters before investing in a storefront location, said Steve Sahle, a longtime Springfield business owner who is trying out his Buckeye fan kiosk “S & S Sports” at the mall this month.
Sahle is the owner of Rolfes Jewelers, downtown, and has a permanent kiosk “S & S Engraving” at the mall.
“I’ve had success (with S & S Sports) at a few festivals this year, and some people asked me if I would be at the mall at Christmas so they could buy gifts,” he said. “The Upper Valley Mall is a good place to test the market.”
John Robertson could locate Absolute Nuts from a number of larger malls in the area during Christmas, but chooses to stay close to home.
“This mall comes alive at Christmas. We have a very high repeat customer base here,” John Robertson said. “They watched us get married, they watched us have kids, and they’ve watched us grow as a family. “They’re not just our customers, they’re our friends.”
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0347 or kmori@coxohio.com.
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